Showing posts with label PM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PM. Show all posts
Monday, July 14, 2008
No-confidence motion rejected, Opposition MPs walk out
The Star (14/7/08): Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia rejected an emergency motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Cabinet, which prompted a walkout by Opposition MPs.
The motion was filed by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail last Thursday.
It was filed as a non-voting motion under Standing Orders 18 (1) and (2).
The motion was rejected in the Speaker's chambers under Standing Order 18 (7). Dr Wan Azizah was informed via a letter.
The matter was not brought up in Dewan.
The motion was rejected by the Speaker due to the "wrong choice of words."
The Opposition MPs walked out after their appeal for him to review his decision was rejected.
Pakatan Rakyat leaders said they were disappointed with Pandikar Amin's rejection of their emergency motion.
They also condemned the police roadblocks across the city, saying the action was "unjustifiable."
The motion was filed by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail last Thursday.
It was filed as a non-voting motion under Standing Orders 18 (1) and (2).
The motion was rejected in the Speaker's chambers under Standing Order 18 (7). Dr Wan Azizah was informed via a letter.
The matter was not brought up in Dewan.
The motion was rejected by the Speaker due to the "wrong choice of words."
The Opposition MPs walked out after their appeal for him to review his decision was rejected.
Pakatan Rakyat leaders said they were disappointed with Pandikar Amin's rejection of their emergency motion.
They also condemned the police roadblocks across the city, saying the action was "unjustifiable."
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Opposition MPs file motion of no confidence against PM
NST (10/7/08): Pakatan Rakyat Members of Parliament, led by MP for Permatang Pauh and PKR president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Ismail, filed a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister and his Cabinet after months of making the threat. The motion, filed under Section 18 (1) and (2) of the House Standing Order, was passed to Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia at his office in Parliament House at 3.30pm. The Speaker promised to give full consideration to the motion but it has been understood that the motion will be rejected after it is read on Monday.
However, Dr Wan Azizah is not perturbed by the reality that the motion will be rejected.
"The idea of filing the motion is to highlight the people's grievances against the Barisan Government," she told a packed Press conference at the Parliament lobby flanked by MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang and Pas secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar.
"The filing is also a direct reaction to the major crises afflicting the people like the burdensome fuel price hike, food prices and basic needs and the people's eroding confidence towards the police, Attorney-General's office and the judiciary, and the aggravating crime and corruption rate."
Lim hoped the Speaker will allow the motion to be debated and voted. "It is an opportunity to check the level of confidence this Government has which we feel has deteriorated."
Kamaruddin said the motion was needed to highlight the suffering of the poeple caused by policies of the Government.
Dr Wan Azizah said the motion will also speak for supporters and members of the BN too afraid to voice out against their leadership.
However, Dr Wan Azizah is not perturbed by the reality that the motion will be rejected.
"The idea of filing the motion is to highlight the people's grievances against the Barisan Government," she told a packed Press conference at the Parliament lobby flanked by MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang and Pas secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar.
"The filing is also a direct reaction to the major crises afflicting the people like the burdensome fuel price hike, food prices and basic needs and the people's eroding confidence towards the police, Attorney-General's office and the judiciary, and the aggravating crime and corruption rate."
Lim hoped the Speaker will allow the motion to be debated and voted. "It is an opportunity to check the level of confidence this Government has which we feel has deteriorated."
Kamaruddin said the motion was needed to highlight the suffering of the poeple caused by policies of the Government.
Dr Wan Azizah said the motion will also speak for supporters and members of the BN too afraid to voice out against their leadership.
Opposition file motion of no-confidence on PM
Bernama (10/7/08): The opposition Thursday handed a motion of no-confidence on the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia at his office at Parliament House, here.
The motion was handed over by Opposition Leader Datin Seri Wan Azizah Ismail together with 14 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the opposition parties representing the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), PAS and DAP.
When met by reporters after handing over the motion, Wan Azizah, who is also PKR president, said the motion was under Standing Order 18 (1) and (2) which reads "That the august House takes a resolution of no-confidence in the leadership of the YAB Malaysian Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers in the governance of the country because of the erosion of public confidence in the integrity of the government."
Wan Azizah said the motion was filed following the move by the government to raise the price of fuel recently although the government had promised before the 12th general election that it would not do so.
She said this had resulted in a crisis of confidence in the Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers.
"The people are facing major crises such as the escalation in the prices of fuel, food and essential goods, as well as the increasing erosion of people's confidence in the police, Attorney-General and the judiciary as well as the rising crime rate," he said.
Wan Azizah hoped the motion would be accepted and debated by the Members of Parliament.
Meanwhile, Pandikar Amin said he would study the motion before deciding whether to accept or reject it.
"I have two or three days to study the motion and will announce my decision on Monday," he said.
The motion was handed over by Opposition Leader Datin Seri Wan Azizah Ismail together with 14 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the opposition parties representing the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), PAS and DAP.
When met by reporters after handing over the motion, Wan Azizah, who is also PKR president, said the motion was under Standing Order 18 (1) and (2) which reads "That the august House takes a resolution of no-confidence in the leadership of the YAB Malaysian Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers in the governance of the country because of the erosion of public confidence in the integrity of the government."
Wan Azizah said the motion was filed following the move by the government to raise the price of fuel recently although the government had promised before the 12th general election that it would not do so.
She said this had resulted in a crisis of confidence in the Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers.
"The people are facing major crises such as the escalation in the prices of fuel, food and essential goods, as well as the increasing erosion of people's confidence in the police, Attorney-General and the judiciary as well as the rising crime rate," he said.
Wan Azizah hoped the motion would be accepted and debated by the Members of Parliament.
Meanwhile, Pandikar Amin said he would study the motion before deciding whether to accept or reject it.
"I have two or three days to study the motion and will announce my decision on Monday," he said.
Posted by Unknown at 10:52 PM 0 comments
Labels: Bernama, Motion of No-Confidence, Pakatan Rakyat, PM
Saturday, June 28, 2008
More cracks in Abdullah's crumbling facade
Asia Times (26/6/08): These are trying times for Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who after a sub-par showing in the March general elections now faces opposition both from inside and outside his Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling coalition.
Many political analysts speculate his administration will not last the year as the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance ramps up its efforts to either poach parliamentarians from the BN into its camp or secure a no-confidence vote in parliament.
The latest blow to coalition unity came on June 18, when two parliamentarians from the Sabah Progressive Party (SPP), a small coalition member from the north Borneo state of Sabah, said they would support a planned no-confidence motion on June 23 against the prime minister. Such a no-confidence motion would have required advance notice and in the end, no vote was put to the house.
But another opportunity arose the same day when a politically sensitive vote on a recent government-ordered reduction in fuel price subsidies, which resulted in a 41% hike in pump prices, was put to parliament. Ruling coalition officials had been on tenterhooks in the run-up to the vote and heaved a sigh of relief when it was passed with a 129-78 majority.
Nonetheless, 11 BN parliamentarians failed to show up for the crucial vote, among them the two disaffected SPP parliamentarians. A report on the SPP's website on the same day said that, since June 18, its leaders had been advised by "friendly parties" not to underestimate "the risky consequences and likely threats" to the party and its leaders.
The legislative endorsement for Abdullah's fuel price hikes has not dampened speculation that his government could yet face a vote of no confidence if, in the coming months, enough members of parliament defect to the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, or People's Alliance. At the same time, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has indicated that there are enough parliamentarians who would be willing to defect to his side by September 16, the date commemorating the formation of the Malaysian federation in 1963.
The ruling coalition currently has a 140-82 majority over the opposition alliance in terms of numbers of parliamentarians, while the opposition alliance is looking for at least 30 coalition members to defect in its bid to seize power. It is believed that Anwar is in particular targeting parliamentarians from the states of Sabah and Sarawak, which are rich in natural resources, including oil and timber. The ruling coalition includes 24 parliamentarians from Sabah and 30 from Sarawak.
Opposition leaders are also believed to be courting disgruntled members of Abdullah's United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which currently has 79 seats in parliament and Anwar was formerly a member.
Many in Sabah and neighboring Sarawak feel aggrieved by what they see as the marginalization of their states in the Malaysian federation. The two entities, along with Singapore and Malaya, merged to form Malaysia in 1963, though Singapore left the federation two years later. Now, Sabah and Sarawak are widely viewed as just two among the federation's 13 states, even though they were previously granted special administrative concessions in recognition of their distinct character.
Apart from the disgruntled Sabah and Sarawak parliamentarians, Abdullah also has to contend with a rival within UMNO, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who is bidding to challenge him for the party presidency in December. He also has to deal with the scathing pot-shots lobbed at him by his prime ministerial predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, whose critical blog postings have received widespread attention.
Moreover, Abdullah has to lug the political baggage that his deputy, Najib Razak, brings along. On Tuesday, the parliamentary speaker rejected a motion by veteran opposition parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang to discuss the latest allegations surrounding the murder of a Mongolian woman, whose body was blown up with explosives in a remote area in 2006.
Popular blogger Raja Petra filed a written declaration in the high court last week alleging that Najib's wife and two others - an acting colonel and his wife - were at the scene on the night of the murder. A close associate of Najib's, Abdul Razak Baginda, and two police special operatives already stand accused in court in the ongoing murder trial. But Raja Petra's sensational allegations point to higher-ups who have not yet been brought to court.
Abdullah said he doesn't believe that either Najib or his wife were involved and has denied Raja Petra's allegation that he had received a written report from military intelligence over the murder. Najib, for his part, has denied that he and his wife were involved in the murder. "Everything that is written is a total lie and fabrication," he said on Wednesday. "It's total garbage."
Anwar in the wings
Meanwhile, various civil society groups and the youth wings of opposition parties are planning a massive protest against the oil price hike on July 5, when organizers hope - somewhat ambitiously - to gather a million aggrieved Malaysians in the heart of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Government crackdowns on street protests staged by aggrieved Hindu groups last year were one factor in UMNO's disappointing electoral performance in March, analysts have said.
All the while, Anwar Ibrahim lies in wait for the opportune moment to make one final push to seize power for the opposition alliance. In that connection, all eyes are focused on what happens next in Sabah. Through its actions last week and its defiance of the ruling coalition, SAPP has tapped into a current of discontent after having toed the party line for years.
The party sees the current moment as a window of opportunity to achieve greater autonomy for Sabah, which despite its considerable oil resources only receives 5% in royalties from the national government. It is a perennial source of political discontent in the state, which has large pockets of poverty in its interior areas, and the small party now seems keen to renegotiate those terms for its future political support. Anwar has already promised the oil-producing states that he would raise their royalty to 20%.
A recent report on the SAPP's official website said, "The momentum for us to recover our autonomy, get 20% oil royalties and return of Labuan [an island off Sabah now regarded as a federal territory] would be lost. Unfair federal laws, excessive taxes and structural imbalances in the economy will remain entrenched. Sabah will remain the poorest state subservient to the central leadership. Labuan bridge, poverty eradication and rural development will remain elusive. Racial politics and wasteful monopolies will continue as usual."
Abdullah has tried to cajole the Sabahans by scrapping the Federal Development Department - an intermediary for federal funds allocated to the state - and with the appointment of a local Sabahan as the vice chancellor of the University Malaysia Sabah. His government has also set up a cabinet committee to look into the large number of illegal immigrants - a major source of discontentment among Sabahans. Najib has said that the government will soon launch a major operation against illegal immigrants.
But those moves are likely to be too little too late for many Sabahans to maintain their political support to the BN. As the political temperature rises, Abdullah has also bid to soften the blow caused by the removal of oil subsidies.
For instance, the government has started to pay out cash rebates amounting to 625 ringgit (US$192) to each car owner across the country. And in an apparent nod to the call for more political openness, his administration has allowed the opposition Harakah newspaper, run by the Islamic Party, PAS, to publish twice a week - its original frequency - instead of once a fortnight as was the case until now.
But that was quickly forgotten this week as new administrative rules restricting reporters' access to the lobby of parliament provoked an angry reaction among mainstream media journalists, prompting them to boycott several press conferences held by politicians in parliament. And with higher oil prices hitting the livelihoods of all Malaysians, it seems unlikely the pressure on Abdullah - and the ruling coalition - will ease any time soon (Anil Netto).
Many political analysts speculate his administration will not last the year as the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance ramps up its efforts to either poach parliamentarians from the BN into its camp or secure a no-confidence vote in parliament.
The latest blow to coalition unity came on June 18, when two parliamentarians from the Sabah Progressive Party (SPP), a small coalition member from the north Borneo state of Sabah, said they would support a planned no-confidence motion on June 23 against the prime minister. Such a no-confidence motion would have required advance notice and in the end, no vote was put to the house.
But another opportunity arose the same day when a politically sensitive vote on a recent government-ordered reduction in fuel price subsidies, which resulted in a 41% hike in pump prices, was put to parliament. Ruling coalition officials had been on tenterhooks in the run-up to the vote and heaved a sigh of relief when it was passed with a 129-78 majority.
Nonetheless, 11 BN parliamentarians failed to show up for the crucial vote, among them the two disaffected SPP parliamentarians. A report on the SPP's website on the same day said that, since June 18, its leaders had been advised by "friendly parties" not to underestimate "the risky consequences and likely threats" to the party and its leaders.
The legislative endorsement for Abdullah's fuel price hikes has not dampened speculation that his government could yet face a vote of no confidence if, in the coming months, enough members of parliament defect to the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, or People's Alliance. At the same time, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has indicated that there are enough parliamentarians who would be willing to defect to his side by September 16, the date commemorating the formation of the Malaysian federation in 1963.
The ruling coalition currently has a 140-82 majority over the opposition alliance in terms of numbers of parliamentarians, while the opposition alliance is looking for at least 30 coalition members to defect in its bid to seize power. It is believed that Anwar is in particular targeting parliamentarians from the states of Sabah and Sarawak, which are rich in natural resources, including oil and timber. The ruling coalition includes 24 parliamentarians from Sabah and 30 from Sarawak.
Opposition leaders are also believed to be courting disgruntled members of Abdullah's United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which currently has 79 seats in parliament and Anwar was formerly a member.
Many in Sabah and neighboring Sarawak feel aggrieved by what they see as the marginalization of their states in the Malaysian federation. The two entities, along with Singapore and Malaya, merged to form Malaysia in 1963, though Singapore left the federation two years later. Now, Sabah and Sarawak are widely viewed as just two among the federation's 13 states, even though they were previously granted special administrative concessions in recognition of their distinct character.
Apart from the disgruntled Sabah and Sarawak parliamentarians, Abdullah also has to contend with a rival within UMNO, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who is bidding to challenge him for the party presidency in December. He also has to deal with the scathing pot-shots lobbed at him by his prime ministerial predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, whose critical blog postings have received widespread attention.
Moreover, Abdullah has to lug the political baggage that his deputy, Najib Razak, brings along. On Tuesday, the parliamentary speaker rejected a motion by veteran opposition parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang to discuss the latest allegations surrounding the murder of a Mongolian woman, whose body was blown up with explosives in a remote area in 2006.
Popular blogger Raja Petra filed a written declaration in the high court last week alleging that Najib's wife and two others - an acting colonel and his wife - were at the scene on the night of the murder. A close associate of Najib's, Abdul Razak Baginda, and two police special operatives already stand accused in court in the ongoing murder trial. But Raja Petra's sensational allegations point to higher-ups who have not yet been brought to court.
Abdullah said he doesn't believe that either Najib or his wife were involved and has denied Raja Petra's allegation that he had received a written report from military intelligence over the murder. Najib, for his part, has denied that he and his wife were involved in the murder. "Everything that is written is a total lie and fabrication," he said on Wednesday. "It's total garbage."
Anwar in the wings
Meanwhile, various civil society groups and the youth wings of opposition parties are planning a massive protest against the oil price hike on July 5, when organizers hope - somewhat ambitiously - to gather a million aggrieved Malaysians in the heart of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Government crackdowns on street protests staged by aggrieved Hindu groups last year were one factor in UMNO's disappointing electoral performance in March, analysts have said.
All the while, Anwar Ibrahim lies in wait for the opportune moment to make one final push to seize power for the opposition alliance. In that connection, all eyes are focused on what happens next in Sabah. Through its actions last week and its defiance of the ruling coalition, SAPP has tapped into a current of discontent after having toed the party line for years.
The party sees the current moment as a window of opportunity to achieve greater autonomy for Sabah, which despite its considerable oil resources only receives 5% in royalties from the national government. It is a perennial source of political discontent in the state, which has large pockets of poverty in its interior areas, and the small party now seems keen to renegotiate those terms for its future political support. Anwar has already promised the oil-producing states that he would raise their royalty to 20%.
A recent report on the SAPP's official website said, "The momentum for us to recover our autonomy, get 20% oil royalties and return of Labuan [an island off Sabah now regarded as a federal territory] would be lost. Unfair federal laws, excessive taxes and structural imbalances in the economy will remain entrenched. Sabah will remain the poorest state subservient to the central leadership. Labuan bridge, poverty eradication and rural development will remain elusive. Racial politics and wasteful monopolies will continue as usual."
Abdullah has tried to cajole the Sabahans by scrapping the Federal Development Department - an intermediary for federal funds allocated to the state - and with the appointment of a local Sabahan as the vice chancellor of the University Malaysia Sabah. His government has also set up a cabinet committee to look into the large number of illegal immigrants - a major source of discontentment among Sabahans. Najib has said that the government will soon launch a major operation against illegal immigrants.
But those moves are likely to be too little too late for many Sabahans to maintain their political support to the BN. As the political temperature rises, Abdullah has also bid to soften the blow caused by the removal of oil subsidies.
For instance, the government has started to pay out cash rebates amounting to 625 ringgit (US$192) to each car owner across the country. And in an apparent nod to the call for more political openness, his administration has allowed the opposition Harakah newspaper, run by the Islamic Party, PAS, to publish twice a week - its original frequency - instead of once a fortnight as was the case until now.
But that was quickly forgotten this week as new administrative rules restricting reporters' access to the lobby of parliament provoked an angry reaction among mainstream media journalists, prompting them to boycott several press conferences held by politicians in parliament. And with higher oil prices hitting the livelihoods of all Malaysians, it seems unlikely the pressure on Abdullah - and the ruling coalition - will ease any time soon (Anil Netto).
Posted by Unknown at 4:37 PM 0 comments
Labels: Altantuya, Anwar, Oil Price, PM, Raja Petra, Sabah, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Umno
Passage of motion proof of strong support towards Abdullah
Bernama (23/6/08): The passage of a motion on the increase in the price of fuel and other goods in the Dewan Rakyat Monday, is a reflection of the strong support by Barisan Nasional (BN) members towards the leadership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the government.
Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the motion, which was passed through block voting -- with 129 members voted for and 78 against it -- was a very important motion and could be regarded as a vote of confidence towards the government and the prime minister.
"We are grateful as majority of members of the House supported the motion. This does not mean the government don't care for the people because if this motion is not approved, the government will bear huge costs and may run into debt.
"This shows that BN is still strong and solid and will remain so until the next election," he told reporters at the parliament lobby Monday.
Commenting on proposal by PAS MP for Shah Alam, Khalid Abd Samad, that tender be opened to foreign oil exploration companies, Ahmad Shabery said it was an unpatriotic proposal.
Meanwhile Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abd Samad, when met by reporters, said Petronas was still the oil company which had contributed immensely to the country's revenue.
He said the tabling of the motion was to give the chance to the Dewan Rakyat to garner support from the opposition members to come together and tackle whatever challenges facing the country.
Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the motion, which was passed through block voting -- with 129 members voted for and 78 against it -- was a very important motion and could be regarded as a vote of confidence towards the government and the prime minister.
"We are grateful as majority of members of the House supported the motion. This does not mean the government don't care for the people because if this motion is not approved, the government will bear huge costs and may run into debt.
"This shows that BN is still strong and solid and will remain so until the next election," he told reporters at the parliament lobby Monday.
Commenting on proposal by PAS MP for Shah Alam, Khalid Abd Samad, that tender be opened to foreign oil exploration companies, Ahmad Shabery said it was an unpatriotic proposal.
Meanwhile Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abd Samad, when met by reporters, said Petronas was still the oil company which had contributed immensely to the country's revenue.
He said the tabling of the motion was to give the chance to the Dewan Rakyat to garner support from the opposition members to come together and tackle whatever challenges facing the country.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Clear this murky issue
A thorough probe is needed to identify and punish those responsible for the cancellation of the use of indelible ink for the March 8 polls.
The Star (22/5/08): The octopus is a master of deception. Because of its lack of a backbone, the cephalopod can squeeze into any tight spot when cornered. It can assume any position it wants, thanks to all the suckers.
It can also change its shape or colour at will, but the octopus’ most prominent trick is its amazing ability to squirt clouds of concentrated ink to obscure the scene when faced with danger.
It may be the effect of watching too many National Geographic documentaries, but since the issue of the indelible ink re-surfaced, images of the evasive cephalopod flash in the mind whenever the Election Commission (EC) is mentioned.
Of course, the comparison is a bizarre stretch of the imagination and one that is grossly unfair to the wily marine creature, which has my utmost respect.
After all, the commission, in contrast with the octopus, only appears to have evolved rather rapidly since recently by growing something resembling a spine.
Last Saturday, its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman made a shocking disclosure about the reversal of the decision to use indelible ink for the March 8 general election.
After opening the National Seminar on Elections 2008: Democracy at Work, he divulged that the Cabinet decided the volte-face on Feb 13, the day Parliament was dissolved and that he was told to take the rap for it.
Two rather nebulous reasons were given for the about turn, the first being security and the second, Article 119 of the Federal Constitution, which covers the right of a citizen to vote.
The Cabinet, he said, had apparently been told about a plan by PAS to sabotage the polls by smuggling in similar indelible ink from Thailand. It seems Umno members who found out about it had also brought in the ink. Rashid claimed that the police gave all the details to him in writing.
Before that story could go to print, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah clarified that the Cabinet had only suggested the cancellation of the use of indelible ink. He said it was up to Rashid to agree or proceed with the original plan.
A quick check on the powers of the EC: Under the Federal Constitution, the EC is vested with responsibility to conduct elections. As an independent authority, the commission is not in anyway subject to direction as to how elections ought to be conducted.
But in this case, it is obvious that the EC was led too easily by the Cabinet’s “suggestion.” As such, can election monitoring groups like Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) and Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), be blamed for condemning the commission of being under the thumb of the ruling party?
Rashid only officially announced the plan to erase the ink 20 days later, on March 4, two days before polling day. And he did it with an air of authority, with the country’s top lawmen – Attorney-General Gani Patail and IGP Musa Hassan – flanking him at the media conference.
The Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar has since debunked the smuggled ink story. This was his reply to Batu Gajah MP Fong Poh Kuan in Parliament on May 6:
“After police reports were studied and interviews with complainants and witnesses conducted, there was no evidence to show that (indelible) ink had been smuggled in from Thailand.
“No witness saw the ink. From the statements, no individual, syndicate or any party was identified as having been involved. The complainants and witness’ statements were only based on hearsay.”
In any case, Rashid does deserve some credit for finally coming clean on the real reason for the change of decision, but the cloud of obfuscation over the issue is a long way from being dissipated.
It looks like yet another episode of Malice in Blunderland. Whatever their motives, some people had been lying through their teeth. If their actions had influenced the Cabinet decision to change a major decision, wouldn’t it be an arrant injustice to let them go unpunished?
By right, they should be arrested and charged with making false reports and, more so, for undermining democracy, surely a crime more heinous than being part of an illegal assembly, marching peacefully for a just cause, or lighting candles at Dataran Merdeka.
Perhaps, like the tactics employed by the crafty octopus and cuttlefish, the complainants and rumour mongers were just using the ploy to deceive and camouflage. It could have well been a red herring to obscure more sinister plans.
It’s my imagination working overtime again, but couldn’t the ruse have been targeted for cheating through multi-voting elsewhere with less public scrutiny, like in Sabah, which suffers from a long-standing problem of illegal immigrants?
It is no secret that the locals in the Land Below the Wind had been kvetching about being outnumbered by foreigners, many of whom hold MyKads. Without the indelible ink, wouldn’t it have been a breeze for these people, to vote in the polls?
The IGP and the AG must initiate a thorough probe, especially when they were at hand at the EC press conference justifying the need to scrap the indelible ink. To file the case away under “No further action” is a real bummer.
The general election may be over and done with (ok, there’s still the possibility of a snap polls being called) but let’s clear up this murky matter before moving on to yet unresolved bigger issues.
In case the folks in the EC have forgotten, there needs to be a thorough clean-up of the electoral rolls. Malaysians need to be convinced that there would be no more phantom voters, multiple registrations and transfer of voters from one constituency to another.
While we are at it, how about working on redrawing the boundaries to undo the blatant disproportionate population to seat ratio and to ensure that there is no more gerrymandering of constituencies based on race?
That should keep the EC chairman busy for the next few months until he retires.
The only octopus that M. Veera Pandiyan, Deputy Editor, New Media, has truly felt sorry for is Squidward Johannsen Tentacles, the cashier at Krusty Krab Restaurant in SpongeBob SquarePants.
The Star (22/5/08): The octopus is a master of deception. Because of its lack of a backbone, the cephalopod can squeeze into any tight spot when cornered. It can assume any position it wants, thanks to all the suckers.
It can also change its shape or colour at will, but the octopus’ most prominent trick is its amazing ability to squirt clouds of concentrated ink to obscure the scene when faced with danger.
It may be the effect of watching too many National Geographic documentaries, but since the issue of the indelible ink re-surfaced, images of the evasive cephalopod flash in the mind whenever the Election Commission (EC) is mentioned.
Of course, the comparison is a bizarre stretch of the imagination and one that is grossly unfair to the wily marine creature, which has my utmost respect.
After all, the commission, in contrast with the octopus, only appears to have evolved rather rapidly since recently by growing something resembling a spine.
Last Saturday, its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman made a shocking disclosure about the reversal of the decision to use indelible ink for the March 8 general election.
After opening the National Seminar on Elections 2008: Democracy at Work, he divulged that the Cabinet decided the volte-face on Feb 13, the day Parliament was dissolved and that he was told to take the rap for it.
Two rather nebulous reasons were given for the about turn, the first being security and the second, Article 119 of the Federal Constitution, which covers the right of a citizen to vote.
The Cabinet, he said, had apparently been told about a plan by PAS to sabotage the polls by smuggling in similar indelible ink from Thailand. It seems Umno members who found out about it had also brought in the ink. Rashid claimed that the police gave all the details to him in writing.
Before that story could go to print, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah clarified that the Cabinet had only suggested the cancellation of the use of indelible ink. He said it was up to Rashid to agree or proceed with the original plan.
A quick check on the powers of the EC: Under the Federal Constitution, the EC is vested with responsibility to conduct elections. As an independent authority, the commission is not in anyway subject to direction as to how elections ought to be conducted.
But in this case, it is obvious that the EC was led too easily by the Cabinet’s “suggestion.” As such, can election monitoring groups like Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) and Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), be blamed for condemning the commission of being under the thumb of the ruling party?
Rashid only officially announced the plan to erase the ink 20 days later, on March 4, two days before polling day. And he did it with an air of authority, with the country’s top lawmen – Attorney-General Gani Patail and IGP Musa Hassan – flanking him at the media conference.
The Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar has since debunked the smuggled ink story. This was his reply to Batu Gajah MP Fong Poh Kuan in Parliament on May 6:
“After police reports were studied and interviews with complainants and witnesses conducted, there was no evidence to show that (indelible) ink had been smuggled in from Thailand.
“No witness saw the ink. From the statements, no individual, syndicate or any party was identified as having been involved. The complainants and witness’ statements were only based on hearsay.”
In any case, Rashid does deserve some credit for finally coming clean on the real reason for the change of decision, but the cloud of obfuscation over the issue is a long way from being dissipated.
It looks like yet another episode of Malice in Blunderland. Whatever their motives, some people had been lying through their teeth. If their actions had influenced the Cabinet decision to change a major decision, wouldn’t it be an arrant injustice to let them go unpunished?
By right, they should be arrested and charged with making false reports and, more so, for undermining democracy, surely a crime more heinous than being part of an illegal assembly, marching peacefully for a just cause, or lighting candles at Dataran Merdeka.
Perhaps, like the tactics employed by the crafty octopus and cuttlefish, the complainants and rumour mongers were just using the ploy to deceive and camouflage. It could have well been a red herring to obscure more sinister plans.
It’s my imagination working overtime again, but couldn’t the ruse have been targeted for cheating through multi-voting elsewhere with less public scrutiny, like in Sabah, which suffers from a long-standing problem of illegal immigrants?
It is no secret that the locals in the Land Below the Wind had been kvetching about being outnumbered by foreigners, many of whom hold MyKads. Without the indelible ink, wouldn’t it have been a breeze for these people, to vote in the polls?
The IGP and the AG must initiate a thorough probe, especially when they were at hand at the EC press conference justifying the need to scrap the indelible ink. To file the case away under “No further action” is a real bummer.
The general election may be over and done with (ok, there’s still the possibility of a snap polls being called) but let’s clear up this murky matter before moving on to yet unresolved bigger issues.
In case the folks in the EC have forgotten, there needs to be a thorough clean-up of the electoral rolls. Malaysians need to be convinced that there would be no more phantom voters, multiple registrations and transfer of voters from one constituency to another.
While we are at it, how about working on redrawing the boundaries to undo the blatant disproportionate population to seat ratio and to ensure that there is no more gerrymandering of constituencies based on race?
That should keep the EC chairman busy for the next few months until he retires.
The only octopus that M. Veera Pandiyan, Deputy Editor, New Media, has truly felt sorry for is Squidward Johannsen Tentacles, the cashier at Krusty Krab Restaurant in SpongeBob SquarePants.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Malaysia debates indelible ink not used for polls
Thaindian News (18/5/08): Malaysians are debating why indelible ink, imported from India, was not used during the March general elections with the government saying it had “merely suggested” to the election commission (EC) not to use it. The cabinet merely suggested to EC not to use the indelible ink for the general elections. It was not a directive, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Saturday.
EC chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman now wants a review of the poll body’s law and the powers given under the constitution.
It was something “the EC actually requires in order to put the commission in a position of strength. A position where you can really determine the proper conduct of elections,” he was quoted in The Star Sunday.
The prime minister disclosed that a week before parliament was dissolved, the cabinet had made the suggestion, giving its reasons why it did not want the ink to be used.
The suggestion had come after reports that the opposition Pan Islamic Malaysian Party (PAS) had got its own supplies following which the ruling United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) also procured supplies from outside, independent of the government.
The government “acted cautiously” to prevent the use of ink for electoral practices. “We had received information that some quarters had bought the ink, although they had no authority to do so and we were suspicious that it could be used to cause confusion and complications during the voting process,” Badawi told the media Saturday.
About 45,000 bottles of indelible ink had been earlier imported from India that uses it for its own elections and sells to other countries as well.
Badawi, who said everything went well (in the elections) and that everyone had accepted the results, questioned why the matter was being turned into an issue.
“It’s not as if by not using the ink, the whole (elections) process would have been nullified,” the New Straits Times said Sunday.
He said he hoped the media would drop the issue as the elections were over.
However, the debate has revived since Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said in a parliament reply May 6 that the police did not find evidence of smuggled indelible ink and statements made by complainants and witnesses were rumours.
He said the cabinet believed that the election process would go on smoothly and all eligible voters could cast their votes if the indelible ink was not used.
“It was only a suggestion we made to the EC chairman. It was up to him to think it over and agree or to proceed with the original decision to use the ink,” he said.
When the decision to scrap the use of the ink was announced at the eleventh hour of the general elections, Barisan Nasional leaders including Abdullah had said that they wanted an explanation from the EC on why it was doing away with the indelible ink.
The opposition said the revelation that it was the cabinet that did not approve the use of the indelible ink was the “best proof” that the EC was not independent or neutral.
Transparency International Malaysia’s Indian origin President Ramon Navaratnam said he was not only surprised but confused by the conflicting statements.
EC chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman now wants a review of the poll body’s law and the powers given under the constitution.
It was something “the EC actually requires in order to put the commission in a position of strength. A position where you can really determine the proper conduct of elections,” he was quoted in The Star Sunday.
The prime minister disclosed that a week before parliament was dissolved, the cabinet had made the suggestion, giving its reasons why it did not want the ink to be used.
The suggestion had come after reports that the opposition Pan Islamic Malaysian Party (PAS) had got its own supplies following which the ruling United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) also procured supplies from outside, independent of the government.
The government “acted cautiously” to prevent the use of ink for electoral practices. “We had received information that some quarters had bought the ink, although they had no authority to do so and we were suspicious that it could be used to cause confusion and complications during the voting process,” Badawi told the media Saturday.
About 45,000 bottles of indelible ink had been earlier imported from India that uses it for its own elections and sells to other countries as well.
Badawi, who said everything went well (in the elections) and that everyone had accepted the results, questioned why the matter was being turned into an issue.
“It’s not as if by not using the ink, the whole (elections) process would have been nullified,” the New Straits Times said Sunday.
He said he hoped the media would drop the issue as the elections were over.
However, the debate has revived since Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said in a parliament reply May 6 that the police did not find evidence of smuggled indelible ink and statements made by complainants and witnesses were rumours.
He said the cabinet believed that the election process would go on smoothly and all eligible voters could cast their votes if the indelible ink was not used.
“It was only a suggestion we made to the EC chairman. It was up to him to think it over and agree or to proceed with the original decision to use the ink,” he said.
When the decision to scrap the use of the ink was announced at the eleventh hour of the general elections, Barisan Nasional leaders including Abdullah had said that they wanted an explanation from the EC on why it was doing away with the indelible ink.
The opposition said the revelation that it was the cabinet that did not approve the use of the indelible ink was the “best proof” that the EC was not independent or neutral.
Transparency International Malaysia’s Indian origin President Ramon Navaratnam said he was not only surprised but confused by the conflicting statements.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Give PM more time, Sabah MPs told
Borneo News (16/5/08): Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) President Tan Sri Joseph Kurup has urged Sabah members of parliament (MPs) to give more time to Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resolve their proposals without applying too much pressure.
While acknowledging that Sabah had given substantial parliamentary seats to the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the last general election, he said that the elected representatives should be mindful of the assurance given by Abdullah during his recent visit here.
In this respect, they should remain calm and be patient until the Prime Minister could work out more positive solutions towards meeting their demand, Kurup said.
SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee said there is no guarantee his party will remain in the BN coalition if Sabah's problem are not addressed by the Federal Government by August.
Kurup, who is also Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister, added an example where the Prime Minister had given due consideration to the request made by PBRS.
He expressed optimism that Abdullah, if given enough room, would acoord due attention to the requests by the Sabah BN component parties.
He said the Government being set up by the Opposition resulting from the exodus of BN MPs would not be fully acceptable to the people, thereby betraying the mandate of the majority voters in Sabah.
Kurup criticised Party Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de factor leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for being vocal on the possibility of Sabah MPs changing side with the Opposition in a bid to wrest power of the Federal Government.
BN had received majority support from Sabah voters, who would not want to be betrayed by unwarranted crossovers, he said.
According to Kurup, the Government that the Pakatan Rakyat (PKR, DAP and PAS) is trying to form through BN MPs switching parties will not last long. It will crumble just like a building being detonated.
He said the people will not have confidence in a government formed in that manner. Instead, the international community will not respect a government formed through party-hopping.
While acknowledging that Sabah had given substantial parliamentary seats to the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the last general election, he said that the elected representatives should be mindful of the assurance given by Abdullah during his recent visit here.
In this respect, they should remain calm and be patient until the Prime Minister could work out more positive solutions towards meeting their demand, Kurup said.
SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee said there is no guarantee his party will remain in the BN coalition if Sabah's problem are not addressed by the Federal Government by August.
Kurup, who is also Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister, added an example where the Prime Minister had given due consideration to the request made by PBRS.
He expressed optimism that Abdullah, if given enough room, would acoord due attention to the requests by the Sabah BN component parties.
He said the Government being set up by the Opposition resulting from the exodus of BN MPs would not be fully acceptable to the people, thereby betraying the mandate of the majority voters in Sabah.
Kurup criticised Party Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de factor leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for being vocal on the possibility of Sabah MPs changing side with the Opposition in a bid to wrest power of the Federal Government.
BN had received majority support from Sabah voters, who would not want to be betrayed by unwarranted crossovers, he said.
According to Kurup, the Government that the Pakatan Rakyat (PKR, DAP and PAS) is trying to form through BN MPs switching parties will not last long. It will crumble just like a building being detonated.
He said the people will not have confidence in a government formed in that manner. Instead, the international community will not respect a government formed through party-hopping.
Polls body gets 235 complaints
NST (9/5/08): The Election Commission received 235 complaints between 2004 and March about voters who could not find their names in the electoral roll.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the names were removed for several reasons, including doubts about the identity of voters after the National Registration Department (NRD) could not find their identity card numbers in its database.
He said other reasons included identity cards of "voters" belonging to other people and the names of the dead appearing in the roll.
"As a follow-up on the complaints, the Election Commission referred the matter to the NRD to confirm the status of those who claimed their names were missing."
He added that investigations showed that 72 complaints resulted from wrong data entry in NRD records, which had disqualified them as voters.
He said the NRD chief registrar had inserted the names of 19 people (2004), 17 people (last year) and 36 in March in the roll.
"The NRD has also confirmed that another 149 voters have evidence to show that they are Malaysian citizens and that their names should be inserted into the electoral roll."
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the names were removed for several reasons, including doubts about the identity of voters after the National Registration Department (NRD) could not find their identity card numbers in its database.
He said other reasons included identity cards of "voters" belonging to other people and the names of the dead appearing in the roll.
"As a follow-up on the complaints, the Election Commission referred the matter to the NRD to confirm the status of those who claimed their names were missing."
He added that investigations showed that 72 complaints resulted from wrong data entry in NRD records, which had disqualified them as voters.
He said the NRD chief registrar had inserted the names of 19 people (2004), 17 people (last year) and 36 in March in the roll.
"The NRD has also confirmed that another 149 voters have evidence to show that they are Malaysian citizens and that their names should be inserted into the electoral roll."
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Game still on after anti-climax
The hype that several Barisan Nasional MPs would be crossing over to the Pakatan Rakyat yesterday has fizzled out but the danger is not over.
The Star (15/5/08): Wednesday has come and gone, but no one has yet to cross the floor in Parliament.
For days, the buzz was that 17 MPs from Barisan Nasional would be defecting to Pakatan Rakyat on Wednesday.
It was likely the more hopeful had imagined that they would be a step closer to being the government of the day by Thursday. The Sabah MPs had heightened the mood over the past week when they defiantly aired their unhappiness, raising hopes on the Opposition bench.
But nothing of that sort happened. The Barisan is still in power, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is still the Prime Minister and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s promises of having the numbers to form the government remain promises.
As Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi pointed out, one would have sensed it in the air if something so big were about to happen.
“There was a marked shift in mood by yesterday. The Sabah and Sarawak MPs who spoke in the morning made veiled criticism of the federal government for not taking care of their states but they also balanced it with pro-Barisan rhetoric,” said Ooi.
By afternoon, the anticipatory mood had evaporated. The moment, as they say, had passed.
But, said Ooi, it was quite clear even as early as Tuesday that some sort of compromise had been struck with the Sabah MPs.
“I would think Pak Lah used his experience to defuse the situation for now,” said Ooi.
It is no secret Abdullah has been busy fire-fighting the last few days, meeting up with key Sabah leaders, listening to them, asking for their understanding and providing some degree of assurance.
He has managed to forestall another potential crisis until at least August, which is the deadline of sorts from SAPP president and one of Sabah’s most fiery politicians, Datuk Yong Teck Lee, on Sabah demands.
In fact, he must have been pretty confident of their loyalty because he surprised everyone with an unscheduled appearance in Parliament on Tuesday at 11pm.
Datuk Rahman Dahlan, MP for Kota Belud in Sabah, was inside when he saw MPs, including a few ministers and deputy ministers, rushing in through almost every door in the House. Minutes later, a smiling and very relaxed-looking Abdullah walked in, took his seat at the prime spot and listened to the debate till Parliament adjourned at 11.45pm.
Younger MPs like Rahman called it a “spot check” but the political significance was quite clear. Abdullah was basically saying he is still around, he is not running scared of all the speculation of defections and he has things under control.
The east Malaysian MPs had caused ripples the past week, making speeches that were akin to veiled threats. It was a direct sign of just how dissatisfied they were with the political spoils of war, so to speak, and seemed to lend credence to Anwar’s claim of support.
“We are just voicing issues we feel strongly about. I’m quite close to my fellow Sabah MPs and I did not get the vibes that they would abandon Umno,” said Rahman.
It has been such an anti-climax and as Wednesday drew to a close, even PKR members were asking what had become of the promise of defections.
Among the Opposition coalition, PAS politicians have been the least excited over the crossover talk. Said a PAS MP from Kelantan: “Change must come from the ballot box. A coalition built on defections will not be stable or respected.”
The DAP, on its part, is trying to contain its assemblyman from defecting in Perak where the Pakatan Rakyat is holding on to power by a three-seat margin.
Still, the danger for Abdullah and the Barisan is not over, merely defused.
But yesterday’s non-event has deepened the perception that Anwar is a master at mind games. The build-up about him forming the government has been so tremendous that when he called a press conference on Monday, the media rushed to his office only to learn that it was about the Royal Commission report on the V. K. Lingam video.
Anwar has some names on his side but the numbers probably do not add up to forming the next government. Otherwise, he would have declared game over for Barisan by now. (Joceline Tan)
The Star (15/5/08): Wednesday has come and gone, but no one has yet to cross the floor in Parliament.
For days, the buzz was that 17 MPs from Barisan Nasional would be defecting to Pakatan Rakyat on Wednesday.
It was likely the more hopeful had imagined that they would be a step closer to being the government of the day by Thursday. The Sabah MPs had heightened the mood over the past week when they defiantly aired their unhappiness, raising hopes on the Opposition bench.
But nothing of that sort happened. The Barisan is still in power, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is still the Prime Minister and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s promises of having the numbers to form the government remain promises.
As Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi pointed out, one would have sensed it in the air if something so big were about to happen.
“There was a marked shift in mood by yesterday. The Sabah and Sarawak MPs who spoke in the morning made veiled criticism of the federal government for not taking care of their states but they also balanced it with pro-Barisan rhetoric,” said Ooi.
By afternoon, the anticipatory mood had evaporated. The moment, as they say, had passed.
But, said Ooi, it was quite clear even as early as Tuesday that some sort of compromise had been struck with the Sabah MPs.
“I would think Pak Lah used his experience to defuse the situation for now,” said Ooi.
It is no secret Abdullah has been busy fire-fighting the last few days, meeting up with key Sabah leaders, listening to them, asking for their understanding and providing some degree of assurance.
He has managed to forestall another potential crisis until at least August, which is the deadline of sorts from SAPP president and one of Sabah’s most fiery politicians, Datuk Yong Teck Lee, on Sabah demands.
In fact, he must have been pretty confident of their loyalty because he surprised everyone with an unscheduled appearance in Parliament on Tuesday at 11pm.
Datuk Rahman Dahlan, MP for Kota Belud in Sabah, was inside when he saw MPs, including a few ministers and deputy ministers, rushing in through almost every door in the House. Minutes later, a smiling and very relaxed-looking Abdullah walked in, took his seat at the prime spot and listened to the debate till Parliament adjourned at 11.45pm.
Younger MPs like Rahman called it a “spot check” but the political significance was quite clear. Abdullah was basically saying he is still around, he is not running scared of all the speculation of defections and he has things under control.
The east Malaysian MPs had caused ripples the past week, making speeches that were akin to veiled threats. It was a direct sign of just how dissatisfied they were with the political spoils of war, so to speak, and seemed to lend credence to Anwar’s claim of support.
“We are just voicing issues we feel strongly about. I’m quite close to my fellow Sabah MPs and I did not get the vibes that they would abandon Umno,” said Rahman.
It has been such an anti-climax and as Wednesday drew to a close, even PKR members were asking what had become of the promise of defections.
Among the Opposition coalition, PAS politicians have been the least excited over the crossover talk. Said a PAS MP from Kelantan: “Change must come from the ballot box. A coalition built on defections will not be stable or respected.”
The DAP, on its part, is trying to contain its assemblyman from defecting in Perak where the Pakatan Rakyat is holding on to power by a three-seat margin.
Still, the danger for Abdullah and the Barisan is not over, merely defused.
But yesterday’s non-event has deepened the perception that Anwar is a master at mind games. The build-up about him forming the government has been so tremendous that when he called a press conference on Monday, the media rushed to his office only to learn that it was about the Royal Commission report on the V. K. Lingam video.
Anwar has some names on his side but the numbers probably do not add up to forming the next government. Otherwise, he would have declared game over for Barisan by now. (Joceline Tan)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Time running out for Abdullah
Aliran (13/5/08): Abdullah Badawi has declared his determination to ensure efficiency, commitment, service to the people and an end to corruption and to pay special attention to the people’s problems. But does he have enough people in Umno to help him? Can he push through meaningful reforms before he is shown the door, wonders K George.
We have already gone through several analyses and comments. I too wish to add to them.
Bersih consisting of DAP, Pas, PKR, PSM and several NGOs called upon the Election Commission (EC) to ensure that the 12th general election would be free and fair, emphasising that some of the past elections (even including by-elections) were neither fair nor free. The Commission responded with certain assurances, one of which was the use of indelible ink.
The Aliran Monthly election issue published a few days after Nomination Day carried a cover story that strongly urged the people to vote for a change. Its editor, P Ramakrishnan, did not mince his words in emphasising the importance of drastically reducing the Barisan Nasional’s long-standing two-thirds majority.
For my part, when Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi started setting up corridors in every nook and cranny of Malaysia, I wrote a couple of articles highlighting his grandiose promises to the people, his shortcomings as Prime Minister, and the drastic increase in corruption and crime in the country.
Ethnic harmony
I am sure that most of the people in Malaysia are happy with the way they voted. The Barisan Nasional has been finally denied the two-thirds parliamentary majority. Besides that, there are now unbelievably five states under the control of the opposition. In spite of the changed political scenario, by and large there is a feeling of unity and harmony among Malaysians. The strident voices of the few fanatics failed to unsettle the peace and harmony of the nation.
Coming back to the election result, I believe there will be harmony amongst the ethnic groups, less competition, improvement in democracy and human rights and very clear setbacks for cronyism and nepotism.
What about open tender? Mahathir and Abdullah both promised open tender but hardly practised it. I hope and pray that the government henceforth will practise social justice, which will remove marginalisation and ensure eradication of poverty.
Parliamentary democracy
Malaysia has chosen parliamentary democracy for its system of governance - but are we really practising it? The system has three separate entities – the Executive, the Legislature (Parliament) and the Judiciary.
In 1988, the then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and two other senior judges were dismissed by a kangaroo tribunal, manipulated by the Executive. Later, Lim Guan Eng, the present new chief minister of Penang , was imprisoned for 18 months, having been found guilty under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) and the Sedition Act. What was his crime?
As a Member of Parliament, he was approached by a Malay grandmother for help. She claimed that her 15-year-old granddaughter was raped by a Chief Minister, who was not even questioned by the authorities. When I came to know that the girl had given birth to a child, I suggested in one of my articles that a DNA profile be performed to determine paternity. But who cares!
How many of you are aware that more than 950 journalists had appealed to Dr. Mahathir to repeal the PPPA but in vain. The PPPA empowers the Minister concerned to cancel, withdraw or suspend the licence permit at any time at his sole discretion. His decision cannot be challenged in a court of law. If you go through our statutes, quite a number of the laws have such ouster provisions.
Please bear in mind that we the people elect our representatives to Parliament and the respective State Assemblies to run the country/state. This is basically what democracy is all about. Instead, our elected representatives are controlled by their respective party ‘whips’. Yes, the whip can make you vote against your conscience. Our first PM, Tunku Abdul Rahman, enacted the Internal Security Act (ISA), an atrocious piece of legislation, in 1960. The ISA allows the police to enter a person’s house even at an unearthly hour to arrest him, take him away and lock him up.
Our new Chief Minister of Penang was a victim of the ISA in 1987. His father, not knowing where in heavens his son had been taken to, went to the police station in Kuala Lumpur. A smiling police officer arrested the father and imprisoned him. The officer thanked the father for voluntarily surrendering!
Talking about the most undemocratic and cruel ISA, five Hindraf leaders have been detained under this notorious ISA. One of them, lawyer, S A Manoharan, stood for election and won without personally campaigning. He is now an Assembly member, which means the people’s representative. This was a clear rebuff to Abdullah and a total rejection of Abdullah’s reason for undemocratically detaining the five Hindraf leaders.
Peaceful demonstration is everyone’s right. But for organising a very successful mammoth demonstration these five leaders have been put under ISA on unproven charges. Please, Mr. PM, start your second term of premiership by releasing them, and redeeming your tarnished reputation.
Malaysia's new Cabinet
The new cabinet consists of 32 ministers including the Prime Minister and his deputy. Malaysia’s progress, prosperity, reputation and ethnic harmony all depend upon the Cabinet’s ability, commitment and honesty.
The name of a well-known woman is missing from the list of cabinet ministers. She was investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), which concluded that there was a prima facie case against her for illegally giving out 28.7 million shares to five persons who are closely connected to well-known politicians. For reasons unknown to me, she was also under investigation for giving away thousands of Approved Permits (AP). The value of just one AP is anywhere between RM15, 000 and RM30, 000. There was a government announcement before the elections that anyone under ACA investigation would not be allowed to contest in the elections. Would she have come under that category, I wonder? Anyway, she appears to be upset.
Corruption and crime
In 2004, a few months after Abdullah became the PM, I mentioned in an article that our fourth premier, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was seen as the God-sent saviour of Malaysia. But now he is no more ssen in that light! Corruption and crime seem to be the order of the day. The PM himself mentioned over a year ago that increasing corruption is hurting our economy.
It is our duty to fight against the serious menace of corruption and crime.
The scourge of money politics
During elections in Malaysia, money politics spreads its ugly wings – though hard evidence is hard to come by. Nonetheless, there were a few instances of candidates mysteriously withdrawing from contests, leaving his only opponent to claim victory uncontested.
During the recent elections, a PKR candidate did not turn up to file his nomination papers. He just disappeared; his house was locked; his family was not to be seen anywhere. Days later he was discovered holidaying in Port Dickson. It must have been a well-earned holiday! Is this not another form of money politics? If so, it must eradicated so that our election can be free and fair.
After the election, when I tried to find out whether my PKR friends who had contested the election had won, I was informed that they were all locked up in hotels purportedly for brainstorming and that they could not be reached. I was not only shocked but became worried. It was only later that I came to know that there were attempts to buy some of them.
The Suara Keadilan of the PKR published after the election carried a story on page 6 alleging that Khairy Jamaluddin had lost the election by 83 votes on the first count but the result was reversed with a bundle of postal votes on the second count. Khairy won by 5,746! I was told that the result would be challenged in the court but this is left to be seen.
Many believe, rightly or wrongly, that the BN resorts to such illegal and shameful practices through the postal ballots to tilt the balance in favour of the BN.
U-turn on indelible ink
A few months ago, the Election Commission chairman gave us something to cheer about by announcing the use of indelible ink to stop phantom voting. A few weeks before the 8 March election, it was reported that the EC had ordered nearly 50,000 bottles of the indelible ink costing about RM2.4 million from Mysore, India. But days before the election, the Chairman rudely shocked the nation by stating that the Commission overlooked the enactment of the necessary legislation to permit the use of the indelible ink! But the BN remembered to amend the Constitution to extend the Chairman’s term of tenure to ensure that he was around for the election.
I doubt anybody believed him. The talk is that the election analysts of the Barisan Nasional would have come to the conclusion that the BN was going to face an unimaginable electoral setback. Was this the reason why the BN government extended the service of the Chairman for another year? The net result was that many believe that bus-loads of phantom voters were transported to voting centres.
Abdullah's change of style
The 12th general election had opened the eyes of the people. They now know they have the power not only to change state governments but to teach the arrogant BN a lesson that will not be easily forgotten. They will no longer be pushed around and taken note of democratic countries where ordinary people have brought about effective changes through the ballot box.
Abdullah must have taken note of the peoples mood. On 19 March, a day before Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, Abdullah declared his determination to ensure efficiency, commitment, service to the people and an end to corruption and to pay special attention to the people’s problems. But does he have enough people in UMNO to help him?
There are many Malays who are educated, intelligent, honest, humble, capable and incorruptible. But hardly any of them get elected to the Umno leadership because of rampant money politics. Good people without money and connection cannot get into leadership position in UMNO. That is why UMNO is in such a bad shape. Eventually money politics will destroy UMNO. This is also Dr Mahathir’s prediction. Just imagine, Mahathir himself was not able to get elected as a delegate (a simple post) for the Kubang Pasu division to enable him to participate in the Umno general assembly last year. He and others say money politics was the reason why he did not win enough votes to be elected. Even an ex-PM who had ruled the country with absolute authority for 22 years can be a victim of money politics.
Now that the elections are over, Abdullah should concentrate his energy in running the country effectively.
Here are a few pressing issues that need the urgent attention of the BN:
* IPCMC - The PM was largely responsible for the establishment of the Royal Commission on Police. He promised to implement the Commission’s recommendations, one of which was to establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). It is going to be three years or so but there is no sign of IPCMC. Please implement without any further delay.
* Attorney General - The A-G must be answerable to Parliament. Let us not have another Mokhtar Abdullah.
* Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) - The ACA must be independent and their investigation report of crimes must be made public.
* Local Council elections - Please re-introduce elections for Local Councils as recommended by the Athi Nagappan committee years ago. Councillors must be accountable to the people.
* Freedom of Information - It is time Malaysia enacted a Freedom of Information Act instead of hiding their misdeeds under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
I hope and pray that PM Abdullah will fulfil all the promises he made way back in 2004.
We have already gone through several analyses and comments. I too wish to add to them.
Bersih consisting of DAP, Pas, PKR, PSM and several NGOs called upon the Election Commission (EC) to ensure that the 12th general election would be free and fair, emphasising that some of the past elections (even including by-elections) were neither fair nor free. The Commission responded with certain assurances, one of which was the use of indelible ink.
The Aliran Monthly election issue published a few days after Nomination Day carried a cover story that strongly urged the people to vote for a change. Its editor, P Ramakrishnan, did not mince his words in emphasising the importance of drastically reducing the Barisan Nasional’s long-standing two-thirds majority.
For my part, when Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi started setting up corridors in every nook and cranny of Malaysia, I wrote a couple of articles highlighting his grandiose promises to the people, his shortcomings as Prime Minister, and the drastic increase in corruption and crime in the country.
Ethnic harmony
I am sure that most of the people in Malaysia are happy with the way they voted. The Barisan Nasional has been finally denied the two-thirds parliamentary majority. Besides that, there are now unbelievably five states under the control of the opposition. In spite of the changed political scenario, by and large there is a feeling of unity and harmony among Malaysians. The strident voices of the few fanatics failed to unsettle the peace and harmony of the nation.
Coming back to the election result, I believe there will be harmony amongst the ethnic groups, less competition, improvement in democracy and human rights and very clear setbacks for cronyism and nepotism.
What about open tender? Mahathir and Abdullah both promised open tender but hardly practised it. I hope and pray that the government henceforth will practise social justice, which will remove marginalisation and ensure eradication of poverty.
Parliamentary democracy
Malaysia has chosen parliamentary democracy for its system of governance - but are we really practising it? The system has three separate entities – the Executive, the Legislature (Parliament) and the Judiciary.
In 1988, the then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and two other senior judges were dismissed by a kangaroo tribunal, manipulated by the Executive. Later, Lim Guan Eng, the present new chief minister of Penang , was imprisoned for 18 months, having been found guilty under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) and the Sedition Act. What was his crime?
As a Member of Parliament, he was approached by a Malay grandmother for help. She claimed that her 15-year-old granddaughter was raped by a Chief Minister, who was not even questioned by the authorities. When I came to know that the girl had given birth to a child, I suggested in one of my articles that a DNA profile be performed to determine paternity. But who cares!
How many of you are aware that more than 950 journalists had appealed to Dr. Mahathir to repeal the PPPA but in vain. The PPPA empowers the Minister concerned to cancel, withdraw or suspend the licence permit at any time at his sole discretion. His decision cannot be challenged in a court of law. If you go through our statutes, quite a number of the laws have such ouster provisions.
Please bear in mind that we the people elect our representatives to Parliament and the respective State Assemblies to run the country/state. This is basically what democracy is all about. Instead, our elected representatives are controlled by their respective party ‘whips’. Yes, the whip can make you vote against your conscience. Our first PM, Tunku Abdul Rahman, enacted the Internal Security Act (ISA), an atrocious piece of legislation, in 1960. The ISA allows the police to enter a person’s house even at an unearthly hour to arrest him, take him away and lock him up.
Our new Chief Minister of Penang was a victim of the ISA in 1987. His father, not knowing where in heavens his son had been taken to, went to the police station in Kuala Lumpur. A smiling police officer arrested the father and imprisoned him. The officer thanked the father for voluntarily surrendering!
Talking about the most undemocratic and cruel ISA, five Hindraf leaders have been detained under this notorious ISA. One of them, lawyer, S A Manoharan, stood for election and won without personally campaigning. He is now an Assembly member, which means the people’s representative. This was a clear rebuff to Abdullah and a total rejection of Abdullah’s reason for undemocratically detaining the five Hindraf leaders.
Peaceful demonstration is everyone’s right. But for organising a very successful mammoth demonstration these five leaders have been put under ISA on unproven charges. Please, Mr. PM, start your second term of premiership by releasing them, and redeeming your tarnished reputation.
Malaysia's new Cabinet
The new cabinet consists of 32 ministers including the Prime Minister and his deputy. Malaysia’s progress, prosperity, reputation and ethnic harmony all depend upon the Cabinet’s ability, commitment and honesty.
The name of a well-known woman is missing from the list of cabinet ministers. She was investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), which concluded that there was a prima facie case against her for illegally giving out 28.7 million shares to five persons who are closely connected to well-known politicians. For reasons unknown to me, she was also under investigation for giving away thousands of Approved Permits (AP). The value of just one AP is anywhere between RM15, 000 and RM30, 000. There was a government announcement before the elections that anyone under ACA investigation would not be allowed to contest in the elections. Would she have come under that category, I wonder? Anyway, she appears to be upset.
Corruption and crime
In 2004, a few months after Abdullah became the PM, I mentioned in an article that our fourth premier, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was seen as the God-sent saviour of Malaysia. But now he is no more ssen in that light! Corruption and crime seem to be the order of the day. The PM himself mentioned over a year ago that increasing corruption is hurting our economy.
It is our duty to fight against the serious menace of corruption and crime.
The scourge of money politics
During elections in Malaysia, money politics spreads its ugly wings – though hard evidence is hard to come by. Nonetheless, there were a few instances of candidates mysteriously withdrawing from contests, leaving his only opponent to claim victory uncontested.
During the recent elections, a PKR candidate did not turn up to file his nomination papers. He just disappeared; his house was locked; his family was not to be seen anywhere. Days later he was discovered holidaying in Port Dickson. It must have been a well-earned holiday! Is this not another form of money politics? If so, it must eradicated so that our election can be free and fair.
After the election, when I tried to find out whether my PKR friends who had contested the election had won, I was informed that they were all locked up in hotels purportedly for brainstorming and that they could not be reached. I was not only shocked but became worried. It was only later that I came to know that there were attempts to buy some of them.
The Suara Keadilan of the PKR published after the election carried a story on page 6 alleging that Khairy Jamaluddin had lost the election by 83 votes on the first count but the result was reversed with a bundle of postal votes on the second count. Khairy won by 5,746! I was told that the result would be challenged in the court but this is left to be seen.
Many believe, rightly or wrongly, that the BN resorts to such illegal and shameful practices through the postal ballots to tilt the balance in favour of the BN.
U-turn on indelible ink
A few months ago, the Election Commission chairman gave us something to cheer about by announcing the use of indelible ink to stop phantom voting. A few weeks before the 8 March election, it was reported that the EC had ordered nearly 50,000 bottles of the indelible ink costing about RM2.4 million from Mysore, India. But days before the election, the Chairman rudely shocked the nation by stating that the Commission overlooked the enactment of the necessary legislation to permit the use of the indelible ink! But the BN remembered to amend the Constitution to extend the Chairman’s term of tenure to ensure that he was around for the election.
I doubt anybody believed him. The talk is that the election analysts of the Barisan Nasional would have come to the conclusion that the BN was going to face an unimaginable electoral setback. Was this the reason why the BN government extended the service of the Chairman for another year? The net result was that many believe that bus-loads of phantom voters were transported to voting centres.
Abdullah's change of style
The 12th general election had opened the eyes of the people. They now know they have the power not only to change state governments but to teach the arrogant BN a lesson that will not be easily forgotten. They will no longer be pushed around and taken note of democratic countries where ordinary people have brought about effective changes through the ballot box.
Abdullah must have taken note of the peoples mood. On 19 March, a day before Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, Abdullah declared his determination to ensure efficiency, commitment, service to the people and an end to corruption and to pay special attention to the people’s problems. But does he have enough people in UMNO to help him?
There are many Malays who are educated, intelligent, honest, humble, capable and incorruptible. But hardly any of them get elected to the Umno leadership because of rampant money politics. Good people without money and connection cannot get into leadership position in UMNO. That is why UMNO is in such a bad shape. Eventually money politics will destroy UMNO. This is also Dr Mahathir’s prediction. Just imagine, Mahathir himself was not able to get elected as a delegate (a simple post) for the Kubang Pasu division to enable him to participate in the Umno general assembly last year. He and others say money politics was the reason why he did not win enough votes to be elected. Even an ex-PM who had ruled the country with absolute authority for 22 years can be a victim of money politics.
Now that the elections are over, Abdullah should concentrate his energy in running the country effectively.
Here are a few pressing issues that need the urgent attention of the BN:
* IPCMC - The PM was largely responsible for the establishment of the Royal Commission on Police. He promised to implement the Commission’s recommendations, one of which was to establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). It is going to be three years or so but there is no sign of IPCMC. Please implement without any further delay.
* Attorney General - The A-G must be answerable to Parliament. Let us not have another Mokhtar Abdullah.
* Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) - The ACA must be independent and their investigation report of crimes must be made public.
* Local Council elections - Please re-introduce elections for Local Councils as recommended by the Athi Nagappan committee years ago. Councillors must be accountable to the people.
* Freedom of Information - It is time Malaysia enacted a Freedom of Information Act instead of hiding their misdeeds under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
I hope and pray that PM Abdullah will fulfil all the promises he made way back in 2004.
Posted by Unknown at 3:45 PM 0 comments
Labels: ACA, Aliran, AP, EC, Indelible Ink, Khairy Jamaluddin, PM
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Malaysia’s ruling coalition rattled after election debacle
World Socialist Web Site (13/5/08): The new Malaysian parliament was sworn on April 28 after national elections on March 8, which delivered a major blow to the ruling Barisan National (BN) coalition. Unruly scenes during the country’s first ever televised parliamentary session highlight the sharp underlying political tensions that have surfaced as cracks have begun to appear in the regime that has ruled the country since independence in 1957.
De facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim upped the pressure on Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi when he predicted to journalists on April 14 that the government would not last the year. Such was the dissatisfaction in BN ranks, he said, that the opposition would be able to form a government with the support of defectors, particularly from the states of Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo.
Anwar was speaking at the conclusion of a 10,000-strong rally in Kuala Lumpur called to mark the end of a formal legal ban on his involvement in politics. Anwar was finance minister and deputy prime minister until 1998 when he was removed from his posts and expelled in the midst of the Asian financial crisis and sharp differences over economic policy. When he began to campaign against the government, Anwar was arrested and tried on trumped-up charges of corruption and sexual misconduct that resulted in the political ban.
Anwar’s wife is head of the Peoples Justice Party (Keadilan) and formally leader of the parliamentary opposition. However, it is widely believed that an opposition MP will step down to pave the way for Anwar to enter parliament via a by-election. In a clear signal of his intention to do so, Anwar attended the opening session as his wife’s guest.
The opposition parties, including Keadilan, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Islamist Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS), now hold 82 seats in the enlarged 222-seat lower house—up from just 19 in the previous parliament. Abdullah’s own United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and other BN partners slumped from 198 to 140 seats and lost the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution.
The government has denied that it is vulnerable to defections, but there are a number of signs that UMNO’s autocratic grip on power is slipping. As well as winning a significant number of federal parliamentary seats, the opposition gained control of four state governments—Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kedah—and retained power in Kelantan. Penang, Selangor and Perak; all are the country’s most industrialised states and Kedah is the main rice producer. Together the five states account for about 56 percent of the country’s GDP.
In the past, the government has not hesitated to punish opposition-controlled states by withholding federal funds and contracts. To do so now, however, would seriously undermine the economy and the government’s own economic plans. The loss of these states threatens to undercut the system of patronage that has formed a crucial prop for UMNO rule. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat or Peoples Front (PF) has promised openness and transparency in the granting of commercial contracts in the states that it controls.
Even the slavishly pro-government media has begun to acknowledge that a political shift is taking place. In a comment in the New Straits Times on April 28, the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research director Mohamed Ariff declared: “Malaysian politics will never be the same again. It is indeed heartening that Malaysia has come of age, with its people looking beyond mundane issues transcending ethnic boundaries, focusing on such loftier issues as institutional integrity, social justice and civil rights.”
The Star on March 23 warned government members that “Barisan stalwarts will have to accept the political reality after the March 8 political tsunami”. It pointed in particular to the breakdown of the communal politics on which UMNO has relied for the past half century to divide voters along ethnic lines. “The political tsunami did not happen without the combination of Malay, Chinese and Indian voters who wanted change. There was cross-ethnicity voting, with Malays voting for DAP and the non-Malays readily backing PAS,” the newspaper stated.
The opposition was able to tap into widespread dissatisfaction, including among the majority Malays, with rising prices, deepening social inequality, the lack of elementary democratic rights and rampant favoritism for a relatively thin layer of well-to-do Malays and Malay businesses closely associated with UMNO. Among the first steps taken by opposition-controlled state governments was to renounce the New Economic Policy, which discriminates against Chinese and Indians in education, business and government jobs.
Reforms promised
Prime Minister Abdullah is desperately seeking to shore up his own position within UMNO amid calls for his resignation. Starting on April 19, he announced a series of reforms to try to boost his popularity and fend off criticism from within the political establishment.
A commission is to be established to make the nomination, appointment and promotion of judges more transparent and end the government’s notorious manipulation of the judiciary. Abdullah indicated that former chief judge Lord President Salleh Abbas and five other judges sacked in a politically motivated purge by Mahathir Mohamad in 1988 would be paid compensation.
The number of officers employed by the state Anti-Corruption Agency is to be increased from 2,000 to 7,000. The agency is to receive commission status and report annually to parliament, as well as to the Prime Minister’s office.
Abdullah also announced a plan to ensure food security by spending $US1.3 billion to increase Malaysia’s rice production from around 65 percent of national consumption to 100 percent. High food and fuel prices were one of the main issues in the March election.
Abdullah told the press on April 21 that his reforms were not prompted by election losses but were pledges contained in BN’s 2004 election manifesto that had been delayed because of other priorities. No one believes this threadbare pretext, least of all those within UMNO seeking to replace the prime minister.
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohammed has been openly campaigning for Abdullah to be replaced by deputy prime minister Najib Razak. Mahathir has supported a call by former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for an extraordinary general meeting of UMNO to resolve the leadership question.
In late April the Batu Pahat UMNO division called for Abdullah to resign before the UMNO conference in December. In a separate comment, Mukhriz Mahathir, son of the former prime minister, warned that if Abdullah did not step down there could be a further split in UMNO. Abdullah’s resignation, he said, would allow “the party to close ranks and go about reclaiming its political pride” battered in the March election.
There is broader unease in conservative ruling circles. Already two state sultans, including Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin who is currently serving as king, have defied Abdullah by refusing to uphold the prime minister’s nomination for the post of state chief minister. The king also refused last year to approve two judicial appointments reportedly because he believed they were corrupt.
Behind this political turmoil are sharp divisions over economic policy. After expelling Anwar in 1998, Mahathir imposed a series of capital and currency controls that, for a period, appeared to stabilise the Malaysian economy. After replacing Mahathir in 2003, Abdullah eased these measures, shelved several high-profile infrastructure investments and tried to boost foreign investment, prompting increasingly vitriolic opposition from his predecessor. At the same time, opposition parties have been critical of the government for not going far enough in removing economic restrictions and ending corruption and nepotism.
These tensions have been further fuelled by signs of an economic slowdown in the US and internationally which is expected to cut manufactured exports by 1.6 percent this year. While the decline will be offset by higher commodity prices for exports of palm oil and rubber, Malaysia’s economic growth is expected to slow from 6.3 percent in 2007 to 5.5 percent in 2008.
In comments to Associated Press on April 22, Anwar made clear that the main aim of the opposition was not to address popular concerns. “It is not very difficult to be a better government, to control corruption, to be more just, to improve the quality of education, public health, to stop the squandering of billions of dollars on your family members and cronies. That is quite easy,” he declared. The main challenge, Anwar explained, was to “change the course of the country” and to promote economic competitiveness and a market economy.
The implementation of market reforms will, however, only deepen social inequality and prompt popular opposition. As DAP parliamentarian Charles Santiago warned in an Asia Times article in March, the vote for the opposition parties was not an endorsement of free-market policies. “The average Malay was feeling the increase in prices, their jobs were no longer protected and inflation was eating their income ... You had a situation where you had subsidies for the rich and a free market economy for the poor.”
Whether or not Abdullah and UMNO hang onto power, the present political turmoil is likely to be the prelude to an even greater crisis.
De facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim upped the pressure on Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi when he predicted to journalists on April 14 that the government would not last the year. Such was the dissatisfaction in BN ranks, he said, that the opposition would be able to form a government with the support of defectors, particularly from the states of Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo.
Anwar was speaking at the conclusion of a 10,000-strong rally in Kuala Lumpur called to mark the end of a formal legal ban on his involvement in politics. Anwar was finance minister and deputy prime minister until 1998 when he was removed from his posts and expelled in the midst of the Asian financial crisis and sharp differences over economic policy. When he began to campaign against the government, Anwar was arrested and tried on trumped-up charges of corruption and sexual misconduct that resulted in the political ban.
Anwar’s wife is head of the Peoples Justice Party (Keadilan) and formally leader of the parliamentary opposition. However, it is widely believed that an opposition MP will step down to pave the way for Anwar to enter parliament via a by-election. In a clear signal of his intention to do so, Anwar attended the opening session as his wife’s guest.
The opposition parties, including Keadilan, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Islamist Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS), now hold 82 seats in the enlarged 222-seat lower house—up from just 19 in the previous parliament. Abdullah’s own United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and other BN partners slumped from 198 to 140 seats and lost the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution.
The government has denied that it is vulnerable to defections, but there are a number of signs that UMNO’s autocratic grip on power is slipping. As well as winning a significant number of federal parliamentary seats, the opposition gained control of four state governments—Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kedah—and retained power in Kelantan. Penang, Selangor and Perak; all are the country’s most industrialised states and Kedah is the main rice producer. Together the five states account for about 56 percent of the country’s GDP.
In the past, the government has not hesitated to punish opposition-controlled states by withholding federal funds and contracts. To do so now, however, would seriously undermine the economy and the government’s own economic plans. The loss of these states threatens to undercut the system of patronage that has formed a crucial prop for UMNO rule. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat or Peoples Front (PF) has promised openness and transparency in the granting of commercial contracts in the states that it controls.
Even the slavishly pro-government media has begun to acknowledge that a political shift is taking place. In a comment in the New Straits Times on April 28, the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research director Mohamed Ariff declared: “Malaysian politics will never be the same again. It is indeed heartening that Malaysia has come of age, with its people looking beyond mundane issues transcending ethnic boundaries, focusing on such loftier issues as institutional integrity, social justice and civil rights.”
The Star on March 23 warned government members that “Barisan stalwarts will have to accept the political reality after the March 8 political tsunami”. It pointed in particular to the breakdown of the communal politics on which UMNO has relied for the past half century to divide voters along ethnic lines. “The political tsunami did not happen without the combination of Malay, Chinese and Indian voters who wanted change. There was cross-ethnicity voting, with Malays voting for DAP and the non-Malays readily backing PAS,” the newspaper stated.
The opposition was able to tap into widespread dissatisfaction, including among the majority Malays, with rising prices, deepening social inequality, the lack of elementary democratic rights and rampant favoritism for a relatively thin layer of well-to-do Malays and Malay businesses closely associated with UMNO. Among the first steps taken by opposition-controlled state governments was to renounce the New Economic Policy, which discriminates against Chinese and Indians in education, business and government jobs.
Reforms promised
Prime Minister Abdullah is desperately seeking to shore up his own position within UMNO amid calls for his resignation. Starting on April 19, he announced a series of reforms to try to boost his popularity and fend off criticism from within the political establishment.
A commission is to be established to make the nomination, appointment and promotion of judges more transparent and end the government’s notorious manipulation of the judiciary. Abdullah indicated that former chief judge Lord President Salleh Abbas and five other judges sacked in a politically motivated purge by Mahathir Mohamad in 1988 would be paid compensation.
The number of officers employed by the state Anti-Corruption Agency is to be increased from 2,000 to 7,000. The agency is to receive commission status and report annually to parliament, as well as to the Prime Minister’s office.
Abdullah also announced a plan to ensure food security by spending $US1.3 billion to increase Malaysia’s rice production from around 65 percent of national consumption to 100 percent. High food and fuel prices were one of the main issues in the March election.
Abdullah told the press on April 21 that his reforms were not prompted by election losses but were pledges contained in BN’s 2004 election manifesto that had been delayed because of other priorities. No one believes this threadbare pretext, least of all those within UMNO seeking to replace the prime minister.
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohammed has been openly campaigning for Abdullah to be replaced by deputy prime minister Najib Razak. Mahathir has supported a call by former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for an extraordinary general meeting of UMNO to resolve the leadership question.
In late April the Batu Pahat UMNO division called for Abdullah to resign before the UMNO conference in December. In a separate comment, Mukhriz Mahathir, son of the former prime minister, warned that if Abdullah did not step down there could be a further split in UMNO. Abdullah’s resignation, he said, would allow “the party to close ranks and go about reclaiming its political pride” battered in the March election.
There is broader unease in conservative ruling circles. Already two state sultans, including Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin who is currently serving as king, have defied Abdullah by refusing to uphold the prime minister’s nomination for the post of state chief minister. The king also refused last year to approve two judicial appointments reportedly because he believed they were corrupt.
Behind this political turmoil are sharp divisions over economic policy. After expelling Anwar in 1998, Mahathir imposed a series of capital and currency controls that, for a period, appeared to stabilise the Malaysian economy. After replacing Mahathir in 2003, Abdullah eased these measures, shelved several high-profile infrastructure investments and tried to boost foreign investment, prompting increasingly vitriolic opposition from his predecessor. At the same time, opposition parties have been critical of the government for not going far enough in removing economic restrictions and ending corruption and nepotism.
These tensions have been further fuelled by signs of an economic slowdown in the US and internationally which is expected to cut manufactured exports by 1.6 percent this year. While the decline will be offset by higher commodity prices for exports of palm oil and rubber, Malaysia’s economic growth is expected to slow from 6.3 percent in 2007 to 5.5 percent in 2008.
In comments to Associated Press on April 22, Anwar made clear that the main aim of the opposition was not to address popular concerns. “It is not very difficult to be a better government, to control corruption, to be more just, to improve the quality of education, public health, to stop the squandering of billions of dollars on your family members and cronies. That is quite easy,” he declared. The main challenge, Anwar explained, was to “change the course of the country” and to promote economic competitiveness and a market economy.
The implementation of market reforms will, however, only deepen social inequality and prompt popular opposition. As DAP parliamentarian Charles Santiago warned in an Asia Times article in March, the vote for the opposition parties was not an endorsement of free-market policies. “The average Malay was feeling the increase in prices, their jobs were no longer protected and inflation was eating their income ... You had a situation where you had subsidies for the rich and a free market economy for the poor.”
Whether or not Abdullah and UMNO hang onto power, the present political turmoil is likely to be the prelude to an even greater crisis.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
RM790,000 spent on jet during campaign
The Star (7/5/08): The Government spent a total of RM792,325.20 for the use by the Prime Minister of the Government's executive jet during the campaign period of the recent general election, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in a written reply to Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS-Marang). Abdul Hadi had asked Abdullah how much the Government spent for his use of the jet between Feb 24 and March 7.
Govt to set up council on economy, says Abdullah
NST (30/4/08): Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the government will set up a council similar to the National Economic Consultative Council (NECC) which will represent all groups including the opposition.
The Prime Minister said the matter was decided at the meeting of the Barisan Nasional (BN) Supreme Council yesterday.
“A committee will determine the criteria and format to be agreed upon together so that when we have decided properly it would be easier to table the proposal,” he said replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS-Marang), at the Dewan Rakyat, here today.
Abdullah said the mechanism would enable the government to discuss with everyone particularly in tackling the rising prices of goods and its implication on the national economy.
“I appreciate the suggestion that the matter should not be tackled by the government alone because the implication of the rising prices on the economy, the increase in petrol price, they are actually important to all strata of society in the rural and urban areas.
“As such, it is most important that we hear all the views of everyone concerned and gather them so that appropriate action can be taken for our benefit as well as that of the country and our economy,” he said.
Abdul Hadi had asked whether the government was prepared to set up a council similar to the NECC which had stalled half way, because the present oil crisis needed the cooperation and views of everyone.
The NECC is an official forum set up by the government previously with members comprising representatives of the community especially to help the government to draw up the future economy of the country.
NECC II was the last to be formed by the government and launched in 1999. (Bernama)
The Prime Minister said the matter was decided at the meeting of the Barisan Nasional (BN) Supreme Council yesterday.
“A committee will determine the criteria and format to be agreed upon together so that when we have decided properly it would be easier to table the proposal,” he said replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS-Marang), at the Dewan Rakyat, here today.
Abdullah said the mechanism would enable the government to discuss with everyone particularly in tackling the rising prices of goods and its implication on the national economy.
“I appreciate the suggestion that the matter should not be tackled by the government alone because the implication of the rising prices on the economy, the increase in petrol price, they are actually important to all strata of society in the rural and urban areas.
“As such, it is most important that we hear all the views of everyone concerned and gather them so that appropriate action can be taken for our benefit as well as that of the country and our economy,” he said.
Abdul Hadi had asked whether the government was prepared to set up a council similar to the NECC which had stalled half way, because the present oil crisis needed the cooperation and views of everyone.
The NECC is an official forum set up by the government previously with members comprising representatives of the community especially to help the government to draw up the future economy of the country.
NECC II was the last to be formed by the government and launched in 1999. (Bernama)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
From MP PAS
MPs blogs
Blogs without feed
In blogs
Datuk Seri Najib Razak
